Pulled Apart By (Fashion) Horses....etc....

An undeniable perk of having a boyfriend who is in a band is, of course, attending gigs featuring that very band, plus many, more or fewer other bands to watch as well. And an undeniable factor of bands that feature boys, is that there will be girls who like boys, especially boys in bands, following them around. Following me? Well, to my point: these girls are often a) knowledgable (about boys in bands, and fashion) b) beautiful (in appearance and dress sense) and c) completely and utterly ruthless. Ergo, incredible fodder for a blogger such as myself to sink my metophorical teeth into.

What sticks out for me, when I see these ladies rocking out to top tunes and getting their style on, is the eclectic mix of looks that really are impossible to pigeonhole. We have exhibit A, the beautiful, don't-need-to-try femme, who has thrown on a rather bohemian and ever-so-slightly William-Morris-print-curtain style dress, bra on show, hair scraped back...On me, this combo would make me look like someone's madcap Aunt Violet Who Must Be Kept Away From The Gin At Family Gatherings, but on this particular lady, it looked hawt. And I think some boys thought so too!

And so to Exhibit B. My friend Hattie, who wore a smashing and completely relevant and Of The Moment anchor print dress, which she revealed, was from New Look, and which also enhanced my cravings for a) an anchor tattoo and b) a trip to New Look, fivefold.

Then there are Exhibits C and D, better known as Ladies Who Intend To Find Suitable Single Band Members To Attend After Parties With, who wore interesting looking combo's of printed leggings, dresses, cardigans and, it must be said, ugly shoes. But then this raises the whole other question: What footwear is appropriate to wear to a rocky music gig in a venue that requires circumnavigation of a staircase and features a toilet the size of Mariah Carey's carb cupboard? Who can tell. I went for loafers (again, yes, I know, I'm in a shoe rut. And my harem obsession had spiralled out of control but I have been jerked back to reality by a throwaway remark by a friend of the boy's...: 'oh, you're wearing those MC Hammer trousers. Again.' I'm not sure what was worse, the comment in itself, or my response, which literally word-vomited itself out of my mouth before I had any time to shove it back down: 'Yes, I'm rather obsessed, but I must stop with these, as they're getting a little thin in the seat.' Fash Faux Pas, to say the least.) My friend Jade wore a lovely pair of grey jersey pumps from Office, which she confessed she bought in a rush because her other shoes hurt her feet, and she just needed something. She also revealed to me that she hates shoe shopping...all I can say is, girl, hook me up because if I can adopt that attitude, my bank balance will become healthier than Gwyneth Paltrow's Macrobiotic diet. Safe.

So, yes, fabulous gig-fashion comes in many shapes and sizes, and many different guises. Probably the most suitably dressed for the occasion (aside from the bands themselves, and even two members from one band stripped their tops off during their performance...I suppose, who needs clothes when you're a rock star?) was another friend Hollie, who not only put the whole event on, and fetched the band's rider, but did it all in a stylish sweater dress and funky tights and pumps. She put my blimming perrenial harem-loafer combo to shame in any case. So: styling it up at gigs, the mathematical equation for this, or, as I like to call it, the Amie Algorythm, follows suit: Comfort+Style/Layers+(Flat Shoes+Stretchy Headband)-All Fashion Pretense=Win Win Win, and possibly a date with someone famous. You heard it here first.